The next generation of talent running records on Rekortan
Sam Ruthe, Gout Gout and Divine Iheme make their marks.
A new wave of track and field prodigies from Australia, GB and New Zealand has made headlines recently, catapulting their athletic careers after delivering record-breaking performances on some of the world’s fastest tracks. These young athletes are shattering records and drawing comparisons to legends like Usain Bolt and Noah Lyles.
In recent months, New Zealand’s Sam RUTHE (15) claimed a national title in the 3000m with a time of 7:56.18, making him the fastest middle-distance runner in the world for his age, while Australia’s Gout GOUT (16) dominated the 200m dash in just 20.04 seconds. Meanwhile, GBR’s Divine IHEME (15) broke a world record for the 60m in 6.71, and started another new chapter of track and field history. We take a closer look at the performances of these teenage superstars.
Sam RUTHE sets a new 3000m age group record in New Zealand
15-year-old middle-distance runner Sam RUTHE (NZ) shattered two of his own age-group records and set a new one while winning the senior 3000m national title at the Potts Classic held in Hastings, New Zealand. Ruthe clocked 7:56.18, marking his race as the fastest in the world for his age. Despite facing more experienced competitors, he surged ahead in the final lap to win by an astonishing 10 meters. Ruthe is now the youngest male Kiwi athlete to claim a national senior title, running over 30 seconds faster than his previous records.
“Gout’s progression in both the 100m and 200m has been phenomenal. He’s a great talent and is being nurtured well by his coach Di Sheppard and our high-performance systems. His silver medal at the World Under 20 Championships already showed us that he has what it takes to compete internationally. The world is his oyster and we look forward to seeing what he can do over the next few years as he makes his mark on his first senior teams”
Gout GOUT is out of this world over 200m
Australian sprinter Gout Gout made history by becoming the fastest 16-year-old over 200m, clocking 20.04 seconds at the Australian Schools Championships in Brisbane. His time broke the national record and is the second fastest ever by an athlete under 18.
Gout, who also ran 10.04 seconds in the 100m, has been compared to heavily decorated Olympic champion Usain Bolt due to his 6’2’’ frame and running style.
“Gout’s progression in both the 100m and 200m has been phenomenal. He’s a great talent and is being nurtured well by his coach Di Sheppard and our high-performance systems. His silver medal at the World Under 20 Championships already showed us that he has what it takes to compete internationally. The world is his oyster and we look forward to seeing what he can do over the next few years as he makes his mark on his first senior teams.” - Andrew Faichney, Athletics Australia General Manager High Performance
Divine IHEME becomes the world’s fastest 15-year-old over 60m
Another teenage talent is rising up the ranks. Divine IHEME (GBR) is officially the world’s fastest 15-year-old after breaking the 60m sprint record at Lee Valley Athletics Centre in London last month.
Divine conquered the 60m dash records not once, but twice, with times of 6.71 and 6.72 seconds.
In 2024, Iheme clocked 10.3 seconds during the 100m, nearly a full second faster than Olympic champion Noah Lyles' best time at the same age of 14.
Youth records all run on Rekortan
Although separated by geography, all three of these outstanding performances were run on Rekortan tracks. Alongside exceptional talent and training, track innovation that balances speed, injury prevention and energy return has a key role to play in athlete performance. Through its partnerships with Athletics Australia, England Athletics and Scottish Athletics, Rekortan continues to work closely with the sport to redefine the standards of track surfaces and improve the nations’ athletics facilities footprint to elevate the sport.